In the span of four short years I had mostly decided that social media can make for an awkward and unpleasant holiday if not used properly (or, in some cases, if used at all).

Let’s Try Something Different

Maybe we should try to have ourselves a completely disconnected, proper face-to-face meal. I know this is difficult, but this time around I’m supplying talking points!

Politics!

The President of the United States of America has decided we should talk about Obamacare. He says that, chances are, folks at the dinner table probably look to you, mostly as a voice of reason, on the subject. And so his team has put together a brand new site just for the holidays: It's time to have the talk.

I should note, this site was most likely not done by the same folks who built HealthCare.gov. I do, however, think they were vying for a front-page spot over at TC;DR (Tab Closed; Didn’t Read):

And let’s not even get started on the print styles.

It’s impossible to make jokes about political subjects without people assuming it’s a political statement. On balance, I also offer a link for the other side of the table: Healthcare.gov and the Gulf Between Planning and Reality. The advantage here is that each side will actually be talking about different things. How is that not hilarious?

Science!

Maybe you can pose a question to the table without letting on that you know the answer? Haven’t you ever wondered how many batteries it might take to cook a turkey? I haven’t. But Wired thinks it’s a worthy topic: How Many Batteries Would It Take to Cook a Turkey?

I’ll spare you the effort of clicking the link. Just do this quick math for a 10-pound bird starting at room temperature:

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